The Wave

Aging Trends in Chautauqua County

We’re getting older,
Chautauqua County. (Please scroll down)

“Of course we’re getting older. Everyone gets older every day.”

True, but we’re also getting older as a county. And this trend has implications for the health of all of our residents, from the oldest to the newly born.

This visualization explores the changing age demographics of Chautauqua County.

Which age group within Chautauqua County do you think has changed in size the most over the past 10 years?

The population of children under 5 has decreased by over 9%.

The number of children 5-9 years old has decreased by approximately 2.5%.

Children ages 10-19 have decreased in number by over 16%.

The population of adults ages 20 to 40 has declined 8.7% …

… and adults ages 40-64 have decreased in number by over 10.5%.

All of these age groups have decreased in number in our county over the past 10 years, as has our county’s total population.

Nevertheless, the largest percent change - in either direction - has been an increase in residents ages 65 to 74. Residents in that age range have increased by over 33% in the past 10 years.

In fact, the entire U.S. has been undergoing a major demographic shift, largely driven by the aging of the baby boomer generation - individuals born between 1946 and 1964. The percentage of America’s total population 65 years and older is projected to rise to 23% by 2050.

But note: that percentage in our county in 2024 was already 22.5%.